Suppression of invasion and metastasis in aggressive salivary cancer cells through targeted inhibition of ID1 gene expression

Highlights • The expression level of the helix-loop-helix ID1 protein is significantly increased during cancer progression, including salivary gland cancer (SGC) • Targeting ID1 using genetic methods and a small molecule inhibitor results in a significant reduction in SGC cell aggressiveness and formation of lung metastatic foci • Tumor-bearing mice were treated with a non-toxic and non-psychoactive cannabinoid compound in order to demonstrate that a clinically translatable drug can down-regulate ID1 expression in SGC cells • We suggest a novel approach for the treatment of patients with aggressive SGC that express high levels of ID1 gene expression